This article covers the political relationship between India and Guatemala: the establishment of diplomatic relations, visits by Indian ministers and officials, meetings with Central American partners, the dialogue mechanism between the two foreign ministries, and the bilateral agreements the brief lists. It is based on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) bilateral brief of May 2026.

Establishment of relations

India and Guatemala established diplomatic relations on 16 May 1972. The Indian Mission in Guatemala City was opened in 2010. According to the MEA brief of May 2026, the two countries "enjoy cordial and friendly relations", and in recent years political relations "have been on the path of an upward trajectory".

The brief lists several visits from India that it says have given a boost to bilateral relations:

  • the Vice President of India, in May 2018
  • the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri V. Muraleedharan, in July 2021
  • the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, in January 2023
  • the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Ms. Leena Nandan, in May 2024
  • Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, from 17-19 August 2024

Visit of Shri Pabitra Margherita, August 2024

Shri Pabitra Margherita paid an official visit to Guatemala from 17-19 August 2024. The brief describes it as the first high-level visit from India following the elections and formation of new Governments in both countries.

He met President H.E. Mr. César Bernardo Arévalo de León and Foreign Minister Mr. Carlos Ramiro Martínez. They discussed bilateral relations, including trade and investment, development partnership, infrastructure, healthcare and people-to-people ties, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

He also met members of Congress, mayors and leading business associations such as CACIF and AGEXPORT. These meetings focused on parliamentary exchanges and on expanding commercial cooperation, investment flows and economic partnership.

Visit of Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, January 2023

Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, visited Guatemala from 15-17 January 2023 to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. She met the Acting President, the Foreign Minister and other senior ministers, including those responsible for culture, health and energy, to discuss cooperation across sectors.

Visit of Shri V. Muraleedharan, July 2021

During his visit in July 2021, Shri V. Muraleedharan called on President H.E. Dr. Alejandro Giammattei and met the then Foreign Minister, Amb. Pedro Brolo Vila, to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues. He also took part in a business event with the Minister of Economy and, alongside Vice Foreign Minister Amb. Shirley Aguilar, addressed business leaders and representatives of the Guatemalan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

India and SICA

In April 2023, the External Affairs Minister met the Foreign Ministers of SICA member countries, including Guatemala, in Panama. According to the brief, SICA and India welcomed the friendly relations developed over time in bilateral and multilateral spaces, and reaffirmed the need to deepen and diversify political dialogue and cooperation in different fields.

Foreign Office Consultations

The brief states that the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) mechanism has remained active. The 2nd FOC was held virtually in May 2021, and the 3rd FOC in New Delhi in November 2023, co-chaired by senior officials of both sides. The 3rd round reviewed cooperation in trade, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, development partnership and multilateral engagement.

As of the brief, the next round of FOC is expected to be held in Guatemala in 2026.

India's Ambassador to Guatemala

On 8 September 2025, Ambassador Raj Kumar Singh presented his credentials to President H.E. Mr. César Bernardo Arévalo de León, formally assuming charge. The brief records that their discussions focused on ongoing cooperation in capacity building, SMEs, tourism and agriculture.

Bilateral agreements

In addition to the trade and visa agreements, the brief lists the following bilateral instruments:

  • Memorandum of Understanding on Consultation, signed in May 2005
  • MoU between the Foreign Service Institute, MEA, India, and the Diplomatic Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guatemala, signed in May 2018
  • Memorandum of Understanding on conservation of the Tiger and Jaguar, signed on 3 May 2024